im wondering what others are doing. My local dealer prices are getting crazy. Near 700 for a wintering and they just qouted me 450 for a half inch gel coat crack repair from the cleat. That didnt include the cost of the gel or catalist. Are any of you guys using private marine shops?

I would say it would depen on the dealer in your area to be honest. I pay 350 if I have my boat winterized, I live in Texas so I usually don't, I just drain the block. if the boat happens to be at their place when it might freeze they drain the block for no charge.

Have only used the local dealer for parts/accesories, but have been told that they are so busy in the service dept here, if the boat was not bought from their dealership, they are not really interested in taking it in for service.
So I would vote DIY or use on of the other guys.

If it was a brand new boat or only a few years old, I might be more enclined to take to the dealer for repairs/winterization. In fact, I've been winterizing my 94' at the Bu' dealer for several years but just this year, decided to do it myself. My dealer was pushing $400 with all the fluid changes so I decided to try it all myself. Turned out great (so far.....we'll see next spring if I missed something )

Just depends on your comfort level.

However, your $700 is Canadian dollars too (I assume) so that needs to be considered too when we (down in the US) compare your winterization cost. Also, what's in that price?

Is that before or after your tax system gets a hold of you? I know in Ontario any service includes a size-able tax (GST, VAT, PST, LMNOP and whatever else they seem to come up with) to go along with it. I almost fell over a couple years back when I was charged an additional 6% recycling tax (on top of the 13% sales tax) on a DVD player I bought there for the family's cottage and that was on top of the already inflated price (at least by US price standards) of the DVD player itself. And while I'm on a rant whatever happened to the great prices for beer in Canada? Last summer I almost fell over when I went to buy a case of beer at the beer store and they wanted $42 before the 13% sales tax. Beer at the local bar had also climbed to $4.50 a pint and that was for Coors lite. Come to think of it at those rates $700 is looking pretty cheap for winterizing.

Comparing US and Canadian labor rates is going to be difficult. Regardless one sure way to get around them is to learn to do the work yourself. Winterizing isn't that difficult for most average guys/gals with moderate mechanical skills. There's also a ton of help here should you need it. I know I would be doing a lot less boating if I couldn't do this work myself. You'll also be very popular with your other boating friends that will no doubt want you to share your new found skill set with them.

I would concur with others on the gel work. Unless this is a big shop they're most likely subbing this work out and charging you to take the boat to another shop along with an uplift to make it worth their time. I know my local dealer does this. A lot of times you can call around or just ask someone at the dealer casually who they use for their repairs and they'll tell you. A good way to go about it would be to plainly ask "do you do your own gel coat work here or do you send it out?" If they say they send it out ask who they send it to.